Three's A Crowd
by Kylara Kitsune
Summary: It's the only solution that works for us. Sora/Kairi/Riku
1. Wrong But It Isn't

**AN: For some reason, I had the urge to write a Sora/Kairi/Riku. I don't know why - can't explain it. I see this relationship as being very innocent, which is why I chose this prompt - number 8 - "innocence".**

I remember the day when I unravelled the logistics of their relationship as though it was yesterday. They'd been close friends since they were little kids, and their adventures had only strengthened that bond. I guess I'd always expected Sora and Kairi to end up together, and Riku would be the best man at their wedding. Things didn't quite turn out like that.

They'd become much more affectionate with each other, when they returned from wherever they'd been. Nothingtoo obvious, a hug here, a kiss on the cheek there, that kind of thing. They were always together. You never saw one without the other two. Well, there was one exception to that rule, and that was in the toilets at school, where I managed to talk to Kairi alone.

"What's going on between you three, Kairi?"

She shrugged, as though it was no big deal. "Nothing."

"Oh, come on. One minute, you're laughing and hugging Sora, then you're kissing Riku, then Riku looks at Sora like he wants him. Something's going on. Who's dating whom?"

"I love them both, Selphie, but we're not dating."

The tone of voice suggested that she loved them as friends, or possibly like family, but it didn't quite fit. There was more to it than that.

It wasn't until I saw them on the beach, a few weeks later, that I realised. Sora was lying on the sand, Kairi's head resting on his shoulder and his arms around her. Riku was there, too, and I watched as Kairi lifted her head and kissed him. Strange, considering she was wrapped in Sora's arms. When Sora started playing with Riku's hair, affectionately, I was convinced that there was something strange about their relationship. When I saw them all heading back to Sora's house, a bit later, I followed them, just to see. I wish I hadn't.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

I know Selphie followed us, that day we were at the beach. It's probably why she hasn't spoken to me since. Riku tells me to give her time, that it's probably hard for her to understand. He's the one who needs the most emotional support, so I guess he'd know. Me, I'm more physical - I like hugs, kisses, and all of that. Sora will take affection in any way it's offered. The three of us support each other, and that's how it's always been. It's unusual, I know, but it works for us. Inthe eyes of the world, it's wrong, but I think it's the only solution that's right for us.

We didn't mean to move from friendship to relationship, it just happened. In one of the worlds we visited, I think it was the jungle, we had to share a small tent between the three of us. Due to the lack of space, and the heat, we didn't really sleep. Instead, we talked all night, and it ended up with Riku crying into my shoulder, and Sora hugging us both. Kissing Riku felt like the right thing to do, then Sora used his infamous puppy dog eyes and said he was feeling left out. I asked him, laughingly, who he wanted a kiss from.

"Don't make me decide between you."

You might expect the situation to have been awkward, but it wasn't. It was the best solution for us. I love them both, always have and always will. They're my boys, and I'm their girl.

**AN: So, was it ok or did I make a complete mess of it? I won't know unless you tell me.**


	2. Without You, I'm Nothing

**AN: I should be working. I really should. But I've lost all my energy and enthusiasm, so I'm typing up my fanfics instead. ToryJessica asked, a while back, if I could write a longer Sora/Kairi/Riku fic. Well, this isn't longer, but it is Sora/Kairi/Riku. Enjoy. Prompt 90 - "Triangle".**

The stares we get, every time we walk down the street together, don't bother me any more. I'm used to it now. It used to upset me, the fact that everybody judges us on sight, without bothering to find out the whole story, without actually knowing us. Now, I just don't care. I've grown up, I've got over it. I know what's right for me, Riku and Kairi.

We need each other, always have done. Even as kids, we were inseparable. The Kingdom Hearts Adventures, as we call them now, just pushed us closer together, taught us to lean on each other, comfort each other, pick up the pieces when we started to fall apart. Being separated was the hardest thing we've ever gone through. We swore, when we found each other again, that we'd never be apart. Ten years on, that still holds true.

It was at Kairi's twenty-first birthday party that we started to make the transition from friends to something more. Not lovers, not yet, but the thought was beginning to occur. Someone, I don't remember who, asked Kairi who she wanted a birthday kiss from - me or Riku. She laughed, saying she couldn't decide between us, and was she allowed to have us both? Nobody thought, back then, that it was strange, so we both kissed her on the cheek and hugged her, murmuring "happy birthday" in her ear. She hugged us back, told us she loved us both. I knew it was the truth, and I knew the feelings were reciprocated. I just didn't realise, at the time, precisely what she meant.

"I meant it, you know." Later that night, when everybody else had gone, Kairi's confession came as a surprise.

"I know you love me, Kai."

"Both of you."

Riku, by this time, had started listening. "As brothers, or..." He couldn't quite find the courage to complete the sentence.

Kairi shook her head. "When we were kids, yes, but..."

I couldn't find anything to say, either. The three of us have never been so tongue-tied before. We weren't quite meeting each other's eyes. I think we all knew what we wanted to say, what needed to be said, but it was so awkward. How do you, after all, tell your best friends that you're in love with them both, and what on earth do you do about it? There was really only one solution.

I reached out a hand to each of them, making the tremendous effort I needed to look them in the eyes. It shouldn't have been so difficult, but it was. Kairi's emotions were plain to see on her face - she knew, I think, what was going to happen. Riku has always been harder to read, less willing to express feelings in words. He finds it difficult, to talk about emotion - he'd much rather show them physically.

"Love you."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.

We've always needed each other, even when we weren't prepared to admit it. Without Kairi and Riku, I'm nothing. I could never have wielded the keyblade if I hadn't been so close to them, because it's all about hearts, and love, and light. They have my heart, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Someone once said we were caught in a messy love triangle, and it would all end in disaster. We're not, and it won't. There's nothing messy about it, not in the way they meant. I want them, I love them and I need them. Both of them. Alone, my life would be meaningless - I can't live without my heart, which belongs to Kairi and Riku. Without them, I'm nothing at all.

**AN: Yes, that last sentence is a (modified) song title - Placebo's "Without you I'm nothing", which is also the title of this piece and my inspiration.**


	3. Starts With An S

**AN: More of a friendship than romance, but I figured it still fitted in this collection. Prompt 52 - "Deep in thought".**

It doesn't matter how hard I think, how hard I dredge the depths of my brain, I simply cannot picture him. People think I'm going crazy, trying to remember a boy they say never even existed, but I know he did. He used to play with Riku and me on the beach, we even built a raft once. Then one day, he just wasn't here any more, and nobody even remembered him. I do, though. Not clearly, but I know he was here. I keep having flashbacks, little snippets that jog my memory and set me thinking again. A sunny smile, eyes as blue as a cloudless summer sky...

I remember I loved him as much as I love Riku, the three of us would have stayed close for ever. If only I could remember his name...

My next flashback was his voice. He was speaking to me, gently mocking my terrible memory. "I'll give you a clue. Starts with an S."

I write a letter to him, put it in a bottle and let it float out to sea. We used to do this as children. Selphie, standing on the beach with me, doesn't understand. I smile, but don't explain.

Starts with an S. Right, Sora?


End file.
